It's Baseball Season!

Take me out in my PARKA.


Take me out in the WIND.

(This picture cracks me up. The Second Baseman looks to me like he's praying.)
Bring me a blanket and stocking cap.

I need one that has built-in ear flaps.

Oh it's freeze, freeze, freeze for the Pirates.


If it's too cold we'll go home.

'Cause it's cold, windy, miserable
at the old ball game!

Actually, we had a great time at the baseball game last night.
D played very, very well. He even caught an infield fly, which is very unusual for his league. His whole team played really well. There were lots of hits and some good fielding. It was really fun to watch!

It was, however, COLD. The wind was blowing right off the bay and it was about 45 degrees. We all huddled together for warmth and laughed about "The Boys of Summer." Apparently, the first game, which we missed, was called on account of frozen players. My sweet friend told me that the boys were positively blue when the coaches decided they'd had enough.

Makes me feel better about missing the first game of the season.

The team had a super time. They chant for each other from the bench and congratulate each other with abandon when a good play is made. It's a thing of beauty.

The preschool herd had a nice grassy area to play in there, too. I think they had as much fun as the ball players. I ended up with a lovely bouquet tucked into the velcro of my coat sleeve.

All in all, it was a perfect Spring evening on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Bring on global warming!

Self Aware

From The Indignant Bambino(3):

"Mom, D(8) didn't act like Jesus!
He's acting like ME!"

Hello!

We had a great time in Eugene!

Now, I'm in the midst of

Operation Restore Order.

Chaos abounds.

Grace Abounds!

Back later!

GSP

Oh, look!

A Gratuitous Sprout Photo to distract you from the pitiful rambling below!

Look! Stunning blue eyes!

Now, move along, nothing to see here...

Monday

Ah, it is so very, very Monday.

The Scoutmaster came home last night!

Hooray!

We had a great evening.

Did you know that the card game Skipbo can be played with SEVEN players??

I am in awe of the fact that we have seven people in our family who are now capable of playing simple card games. Wow! We had such fun.

The Sprout is still feeling puny. He wavers between seeming completely fine and being a total basket case.

As for me, I have that five-nights-of-inadequate-sleep feeling.

I'm having a hard time focusing on anything and just can't seem to get the day going, afterall, it's only 12:50!

There are so many things swirling around in my addled brain that I think I'd better make a list...

D picks up his new baseball uniform today!

We need to buy The Sprout a new car seat and to promote Girlfriend, Sunshine, and The Bambino up the car seat ladder.

Where is that white sweater of Sunshine's? The one she should wear with her sleeveless Sunday dress.

If The Scoutmaster takes me shopping tomorrow, what Spring/Summer clothes should I buy?

Boy Scout Meeting tonight!

Should I place an order with the Avon lady for the first time ever? The prices in the catalog she left on my door seem so LOW...

I need to post about the new CD I got.

...

....

.....

The Ducklings are quacking for lunch. I'd better get on that before there is a mutiny attempt!

~ Happy Monday ~

24 Hour Parenting

8:10 pm Good Friends leave after a nice hour of visiting

8:15 pm Ducklings are making themselves ready for bed

8:25 pm Girlfriend(7) remembers to feed her new fish

8:30 pm There is weeping and gnashing of teeth, as it is discovered that Pumpkin, the fish, is dead

(By now, we are 30 minutes past our expiration date)

8:35 pm GF and I are in the front yard laying Pumpkin to rest

8:55 pm The Ducklings are all finally settled down and in bed. I dare to breathe a sigh of relief and to sit down to unwind

9:00 pm Sunshine(5) comes out to inform me that she has wet the bed. Ack! I nearly loose it.

9:15 pm Everyone is finally settled down again.

9:30 pm D(8) Comes out to kiss me goodnight for the 4th time.

10:00 pm The Boy Scout(11) has a "gut reaction" to the pizza he ate earlier at the end-of-track party.

10:15 pm The Scout is still suffering, still asking me to fix it. I can't.

11:00 pm I'm off to bed. Everyone is quiet. I crawl in between the sleeping Sprout(13 mo's) and the grieving Girlfriend.

11:15 pm The Sprout awakens. He is fussy. He's had a cold for a couple of weeks. He resettles and we go back to sleep.

11:30 pm The Sprout stirs again. This time, I can feel that his skin is hot and hear his fast breathing. Fever. Ibuprophen. Snuggling.

12:00 pm Back in bed. Back to sleep.

12:15 pm The Bambino(3) attempts to climb into the bed. He is cold because he chose to sleep without jammies. I return him to his bed and get him another blanket.

12:30 pm Back to sleep.

Sometime in the night the Bambino crawls back in. I can no longer resist. He slips in between Girlfriend and me.

1:00 am I'm awake, listening to the baby breathe fast, petting his buttery, hot skin. Giving thanks for my children and all that is so good in my life.

6:45 am The Sprout stirs and I roll over to snuggle him. He's laying in a puddle. I'm laying in a puddle. Time to get up. The Girlfriend hears us and rises, too. Now Sunshine is up and we begin our day.

It's been a full night, which followed a full day.

This morning, we will stay home from church and eat French Toast and tidy up in anticipation of The Scoutmaster's return.

The sun is shining.

Yesterday, I cleaned out my storage room and the Ducklings and I reclaimed the Family Room.

All is right with the world. God is gracious to provide enough grace to meet the need.

Today promises to be beautiful.

(This is a picture Girlfriend (7) took of her new fish, with the new camera she got for her birthday.)

Keepin' It Real House Tour - Fresh Paint in the Girls' Room

Whenever The Scoutmaster is gone for a day or two, I like to seize the opportunity to do the kind of project which requires allowing the house to sink into more-complete-than-usual chaos.

I LOVE to paint. Three times, we've bought houses and painted the entire inside with a fresh coat of white paint. This always makes me very happy because it covers everything with a fresh, clean, bright coat.

However, I am finally becoming sick of white paint. I never though this day would come. It is driving me crazy.

So, a few weeks ago when I had a few minutes of "spare" time, I ran into Fred Meyer and picked up some paint for the girls' room. I decided to go with four different bright colors, so that none of them would be too overwhelming. The colors are a bit crazy, but I think I really like it. And I'm sure it will look better with a few embellishments of some kind.

Yesterday, I started painting. Today, I finished! (In between, I had unexpected guests who got a very "keepin' it real" view of my home. But that's another story!)

For your amusement, and with no prior tidying up or cleaning, I give you

The girls' room:

Before
After


Before


After


Before


After



Before


After




Before


After



Before


After



Now I am going to go and fall down.
And soak my forearms in hot water.
And sleep for a week.
And rest my strained muscles from moving furniture.

Oh, wait, actually,
I'm going to go sort ten loads of laundry,
and change some wet sheets,
and put on regular (non-painty) clothes
and makeup,
and finish up a project,
and run to the post office,
and make dinner,
and play with the Ducklings,
and put away the paint supplies.

And THEN I'll fall down!